[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6181418,"mediaKeyId","5113027-ba560481d64a68cc838dd66ae4b35cb9","parentId",5113027,"title","Food services outlines CEP school-meal program, emphasis on EBF forms and modest a la carte price changes","audioSeconds",332,"startMs",904000,"endMs",1236000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113027-ba560481d64a68cc838dd66ae4b35cb9&start=904&end=1236","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113027-ba560481d64a68cc838dd66ae4b35cb9/thumbnail_904000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6181418/Michigan/Food-services-outlines-CEP-school-meal-program-emphasis-on-EBF-forms-and-modest-a-la-carte-price-changes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6181418-1a7f1032fbdfe64ae8cc5231e53fffe2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164108&Signature=TIOTt0SA4a2GMAZKNkVQgUUG0Adam7ES~EmgMNtEKsiJa~iREDTPZpfq-mAsLxQZyBcyZpAFemxrSU0LyH12QHhrH-4wNQrMpuuycgqnlCHDWazY4BqXgw7REkAMcD2Asaw16eTmEY5RjwTweyJZctQ7PUtLOqMUMTUMGtxp-dLmNJsWzfvezeb35pHwTqEm01Dag2up77bbPbo3rn4PFcwIusfkTZgkh6mfzLR0n1ha8h0i3mkALuX4AVHpfkRSayhHQ9H2Cs5qtrKX8NtPCrKtSHyi4w4e3iVPMuFP99JyVgIJt42N5lq~eXgP0T08EPOHozRS0vxIsX7hTh7dwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","WSD, MI","date","2025-06-20T00:00:00Z","article","Food-service leaders told the Waterford Board of Education that the district remains in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which provides free breakfast and lunch to all students at participating schools, and that parents should complete Eligibility Based Forms (EBFs) because the forms affect state and federal funding allocations beyond meal reimbursements.

Why it matters: Although CEP provides universal free meals at participating sites for the district's locked-in two-year period, EBFs are still required to capture districtwide demographic data that affect Title I and other state and federal allocations that support curriculum and services.

Michael (Mike) Williams, the district's director of food services, described CEP and the role of EBFs: “CEP, or community eligibility, is a federal program…that allows eligible students to offer free 1 free lunch and 1 free breakfast for every student, without collecting individual meal applications.” He added that although the district is in CEP and students receive meals at no charge for the next two years, “collecting CEP forms are crucial to funding your resources throughout the district.”

Williams told trustees the district is considering a 25-cent increase across a la carte pricing to offset costs caused by continuing to provide universal meals and to maintain quality ingredients. He said the district will not raise reimbursable meal prices for students covered under CEP for the two-year lock-in but is looking to adjust non-student and a la carte items. Williams also described a student-driven pilot at Cooley Elementary that helped the district replace black foam trays with recyclable five-pound paper boats; he credited students' advocacy for accelerating the districtwide tray change.

Trustees asked about accessibility for parents who need help completing EBFs. Williams said food-service staff make forms available in-person throughout summer programs and during enrollment, and that staff will help parents complete forms at summer events. He also said the district conducts student taste tests and surveys to increase participation in meal programs.

Discussion versus decision: This was an informational presentation. No fee schedule was formally adopted at the meeting; staff said a la carte increases are under consideration and that the district is locked into CEP meal pricing for two years.

Ending: Staff said they will continue outreach to families to complete EBFs and will return to the board with any formal proposals for a la carte pricing changes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","WSD- Board of Education Meeting 6-19-25","oneSentenceSummary","District food-service staff described the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), the importance of Eligibility Based Forms (EBFs) for district funding, menu standards and a proposed 25¢ a la carte price increase to help sustain offerings; staff also highlighted a shift to recyclable trays driven by student advocacy.","taxTitle","Waterford School District, School Boards, Michigan","taxId",38223,"location","Michigan","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6181423,"Waterford to install 30 bottle-filling stations under state grant to meet drinking-water rules; trustees warn of ongoing costs",322,1838000,2160000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113027-ba560481d64a68cc838dd66ae4b35cb9&start=1838&end=2160","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113027-ba560481d64a68cc838dd66ae4b35cb9/thumbnail_1838000.jpg","/articles/6181423/Michigan/Waterford-to-install-30-bottle-filling-stations-under-state-grant-to-meet-drinking-water-rules-trustees-warn-of-ongoing-costs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6181423-6786136f24780626db84643e58d2b3a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164108&Signature=V~XgN6lRd90gF0pUqhMZrn7HrsJQfuB3Ef6PQJjLQBP7jRk2iQUdtnr2TlRucOd01xuRwe0e2FPOPz8Mr3TsB-fjg8W9rjx43OXmbmz70iukzB8daTNdqdEGxiqgAIFdzsqY1d5t6bgrblZWc-ZAJZbRar7QHfxXW1Ui0IW2xaLfvtjXduSExoVtxf0RqdIohKtKrfNOedxOhY6DFHzuQpZqn77Ed5sx01v3~b8srO68GkCFtacLYThVbx4iC9JvoGhpJqJU~QHDUbhnTbVdrQQVccJ7zFaZBWHHy7nz-BqJ-fitcQH04UcT~SKrRMwhNiXqMcCxXUxlKScIztsjsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Waterford School District staff told the board they will use a state grant to buy 30 bottle-filling stations and related equipment to comply with Michigan's clean-drinking-water requirements that take effect in summer 2026. The district reported it has been awarded a state grant (discussed as roughly $168,000 in the meeting) that will cover the purchase of the units; installation and ongoing maintenance costs remain.

Why it matters: By summer 2026, the district must ensure drinking sources used by students are filtered to remove lead and copper or be labeled as nonpotable. Trustees pressed staff on installation costs, filter-replacement cadence, electricity and possible long-term expenses.

Assistant Superintendent Hildebrandt and Facilities Director Sid Tippett explained that the grant award will fund the 30 bottle-fillers and that one of the grant stipulations is having at least one bottle-filler per 100 building occupants. Tippett confirmed the main contaminants the filters address are lead and copper: “The main component is lead. So it's lead and copper. That is the main 2 things. The filters that we have, they will go ahead and filter those.”

Board members asked whether the grant would cover installation; Tippett said the grant can be used for installation costs and that, because of global material-price uncertainty, vendor quotes include an expiration date. Trustees also asked about lifecycle costs; staff said the units are repairable and have replaceable parts, but filters will be an ongoing expense. One trustee said Waterford’s distribution system has good source water, but compliance still requires filtration or signage labeling non-drinking sources.

Discussion versus decision: This item was presented as an information item and a grant award; trustees discussed implementation details and the district noted it intends to use grant funds for purchases and may use part of the grant for installation. No separate formal contract award for installation was recorded at the meeting.

Clarifying details:
- Grant discussed as approximately $160,000–$168,000 to cover equipment and some installation; staff said $58,000 of the grant would cover the identified units and remainder could be used for other grant-eligible items.
- Requirement cited: one bottle-filling station per 100 building occupants; annual testing and filter replacements will be required starting in 2026.
- Main contaminants targeted: lead and copper (filters certified to remove these metals).

Ending: Trustees approved moving forward with the grant-funded purchases and asked staff to provide a follow-up plan with installation cost estimates, filter lifecycle costs and a maintenance schedule to the board before installations begin.","The board heard a plan to install 30 bottle-filling stations funded by a state grant to comply with the state Clean Drinking Water Act requirement effective 2026, and trustees asked about installation costs, filter replacement and long-term maintenance.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6181429,"Waterford board unanimously opposes House budget proposals to direct state funds to private schools",667,3721000,4388000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113027-ba560481d64a68cc838dd66ae4b35cb9&start=3721&end=4388","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113027-ba560481d64a68cc838dd66ae4b35cb9/thumbnail_3721000.jpg","/articles/6181429/Michigan/Waterford-board-unanimously-opposes-House-budget-proposals-to-direct-state-funds-to-private-schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6181429-b862ef5960095705927d51f07c5d6966/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164108&Signature=A5~YAd5tc2G6eqBWIEUJJWkZj-EkME48W1vEJYhSLLKT0qnFanmcKmCw27XiCRRB73XfhthNWlpj0b4vrXqcCWNqeXfUvLEESuVhaE10-isG1Bc2C3J485kQfKt30eBZTYFBW4ddUlxnpVGcG3Uxnj8XWitIaPhRsRfOYD8awaeddysdsosF8HSZJhlI2lHog--3WipJ2rpN6Tsn-qmSnB52eiY5DOc7p0ZqyTgM0y~V5kfBDeRfUjWDNB9g~or2dgZtQ27U1mmcPEPVmN731aav7vdiL3vEh1aPcbIE2kHa4ca-SUAVXi05MVbhXPUCCSxe2iqg8svp5yXKLgoZNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Waterford Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt a resolution opposing provisions in the Michigan House school-aid bill that would send public dollars to private K–12 and higher-education institutions and restructure categorical funding.

Board members said the House proposal (referenced in the meeting as House Bill 4577) would divert meaningful amounts from the school-aid fund and undermine funding equity and accountability for public schools. The resolution opposes “the inclusion of any direct or indirect public funding for private educational institutions in the fiscal year 2025–26 school aid and higher education budgets.”

Why it matters: Trustees said the House proposal would remove or consolidate categorical funding that currently targets specific student needs (for example, at-risk support, English language learners, CTE, mental-health supports and universal meals) and would direct state dollars to private schools that are not subject to the same enrollment and accountability rules as public districts.

Board members cited figures read into the record from the House proposal: the document read aloud by a trustee described $40,800,000 in direct per-pupil payments to private K–12 schools and $170,600,000 in college scholarships that would benefit private universities. Trustees said the House plan would also reduce school-aid fund dollars to balance the state general fund and move hundreds of millions to higher education and other state priorities. Board members urged constituents to contact legislators in Lansing in opposition.

Discussion versus decisions: The board formally adopted a resolution opposing the House school-aid proposal (decision). Several trustees gave lengthy remarks explaining the board's position and urged citizen advocacy (discussion/direction).

Trustees emphasized that public schools are open to all students, while private institutions can decline admission; board members said that shift could disproportionately affect students with disabilities and the most vulnerable populations. Trustee Joan Ristich and others asked audiences to be vocal with legislators and the governor’s office.

Ending: The board asked residents to lobby state legislators and the Senate as the House and Senate conference the budget, and said the district will monitor state budget negotiations and advocate for maintaining targeted categorical funding for public schools.","The Waterford School District Board adopted a resolution opposing components of the Michigan House school-aid proposal that would direct public money to private K–12 and higher education, and trustees urged local advocacy to protect public-school funding.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6181434,"Waterford board adopts 2025–26 budget and millage; trustees, staff and union warn of layoffs and structural shortfall",522,2569000,3091000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5113027-ba560481d64a68cc838dd66ae4b35cb9&start=2569&end=3091","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5113027-ba560481d64a68cc838dd66ae4b35cb9/thumbnail_2569000.jpg","/articles/6181434/Michigan/Waterford-board-adopts-202526-budget-and-millage-trustees-staff-and-union-warn-of-layoffs-and-structural-shortfall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6181434-b37db100ebdce57396cf683393889dc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164108&Signature=F8aFkwlN0RnQbH2X086o3ah3MZOlX2xAye8g57c1z6PpQomD6UwrwoNfkEOyA38MFkMKcJRk5HvEUaIVY~xw-Usu6uKF~Kv1BM2mApPsv~iCKZDJqTgkAgk-5oaKFq5fOyWpkyx7C-LDJXu7UBhI0IK0EEoZMzmvHow5WgFfPRkr3VEcFRxhmTDDQo6T60OArVNDbr7s4YPz8V8WqPDmh2YHzqSzGss5Qi1Uusn3yQgDkI8kB~uSYOjbtmDhNjdaxC2ie6e2isbjuLvEHNTyVTV6~oOrXEWbs22KZphunmZv4bENdpyMTR~fwy1T-mkXPXPiB~hw0cg7kl9KAnWIVA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Waterford School District Board of Education approved revised fiscal-year 2024–25 appropriations and adopted the district's original 2025–26 budget and millage rates during its June meeting, voting unanimously on both measures.

Board members and district staff emphasized that the district is operating with a shrinking fund balance and that one-time COVID-era federal funds had masked underlying structural deficits. Assistant Superintendent Lisa Hildebrandt presented the financials and trustees discussed plans for multi-year forecasting and tighter budget monitoring.

Why it matters: The board approved appropriations and a 17.6749-mill nonhomestead tax rate for the coming year, steps that set tax levies and spending authority while trustees described the need to replace one-time funding with recurring revenue or cuts. Public commenters and union representatives said staff reductions and contract stances are compounding the district's operational strain.

The board voted to adopt a revised appropriation resolution for FY 2024–25 that increased total appropriations after recognizing higher state revenues. Among figures presented were $128,071,819 in revised total revenues and an appropriated general fund amount of $130,800,475 for the revised 2024–25 appropriations; the original 2025–26 general fund appropriation adopted later was $122,447,062. Members noted the district began the year with roughly $16.7 million in fund balance and will end the year below $14 million under the adopted spending plan.

Trustee Joan Ristich (board member) thanked staff for rapid fiscal work after the district discovered larger shortfalls than anticipated, saying she appreciated the move to “multi-year forecasting” and earlier auditing steps to avoid future surprises. Several trustees urged the administration to provide regular updates to the board and to bring revised budgets forward as conditions change.

Two public speakers tied directly to the budget debate spoke during the meeting. Allison Upliger, a longtime district volunteer and former SAFE team staffer, said she was laid off and described cuts across the district: “Three weeks ago, I received the earth shattering news that I lost my job,” she said, adding that librarians and middle-school computer grant programs had been cut or restructured. Lori Tunick, executive director of the Michigan Education Association servicing Waterford, told the board that negotiations with the district have been slow and concerning and criticized district budget assumptions. “Your budget assumptions of no on-schedule increases, no improvements to the salary schedule, no off-schedule payments…do not reflect good faith bargaining,” Tunick said, and warned that withholding financial negotiation until the governor’s budget guarantees expired contracts and erodes trust.

Discussion versus decisions: The board formally approved appropriations and millage rates (decisions). Trustees directed staff to implement multi-year forecasting, increase regular budget reporting, and bring forward revised budgets as needed (direction). Public comments and union statements were recorded as discussion and public testimony.

Clarifying details taken from meeting remarks:
- Revised total revenues presented: $128,071,819.
- Revised general fund appropriation (FY 2024–25): $130,800,475.
- Original general fund appropriation adopted for FY 2025–26: $122,447,062.
- Beginning fund balance cited by board discussion: about $16.7 million; projected year-end balance: under $14 million.
- Board vote on revised appropriations and on the 2025–26 original budget and millage: unanimous (6–0).

What happens next: Trustees said they will implement enhanced forecasting and present periodic updated budget reports; the board also noted state-level decisions on school aid could require further adjustment this fall.

Ending note: Board members repeatedly asked the public to engage with legislators about state school funding, and district leaders said they would continue to update the board as state allocations become final.","The Waterford School District Board approved revised 2024–25 appropriations and adopted the original 2025–26 budget and millage rates, while trustees and district staff discussed a shrinking fund balance, use of one-time funds, and public comments from a laid-off employee and union representatives urging better bargaining and transparency.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Food services outlines CEP school-meal program, emphasis on EBF forms and modest a la carte price changes

Waterford to install 30 bottle-filling stations under state grant to meet drinking-water rules; trustees warn of ongoing costs

Waterford board unanimously opposes House budget proposals to direct state funds to private schools

Waterford board adopts 2025–26 budget and millage; trustees, staff and union warn of layoffs and structural shortfall